Charlie Brown and Jemima Shelley

Iran War Shipping Update - May 11, 2026

May 11, 2026 | Charlie Brown and Jemima Shelley

Since the start of the Iran War on February 28, Iran’s “Ghost Fleet” continues active operations—loading cargo, transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and sailing east toward China—though the U.S. blockade may now be restricting exports. UANI tracking shows ongoing illicit maritime activity. The U.S. blockade targets vessels entering and exiting Iranian ports and those carrying sanctioned or contraband oil, but does not apply to all Iran-linked ships. U.S. forces focus primarily on large VLCC tankers rather than smaller carriers. On May 4, the U.S.

NATO’s Mine Warfare Conference Highlights Gap Between Rhetoric and Real-World Commitment

(New York, NY)—UANI Chairman Jeb Bush and UANI CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace stated: “The upcoming NATO Naval Mine Warfare Conference in Ostend, Belgium underscores a troubling disconnect between rhetoric and reality within the Alliance. While NATO and its European members gather to discuss mine warfare concepts and future technologies, there remains a conspicuous absence of meaningful and deployable minesweeping contributions in the world’s most strategically vital waterways. Nowhere is this gap more evident than in the Strait of Hormuz, where the United States continues to bear the overwhelming burden of ensuring freedom of navigation and deterring maritime threats.

Since the start of the Iran War on February 28, Iran’s “Ghost Fleet” continues active operations—loading cargo, transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and sailing east toward China—though the U.S. blockade may now be restricting exports. UANI tracking shows ongoing illicit maritime activity. The U.S. blockade targets vessels entering and exiting Iranian ports and those carrying sanctioned or contraband oil, but does not apply to all Iran-linked ships. U.S. forces focus primarily on large VLCC tankers rather than smaller carriers.